How Can I Tell if I'll have Trouble Going Through Menopause?

Although menopause is a universal phenomenon among women all over the world, the way a woman goes through menopause is very different from one another. Each individual patient is diagnosed differently, treated differently and therefore symptoms are affected differently among women.

Can a woman predict how she will respond to menopause?

Unfortunately, there is no way to know if a woman will have a hard time going through menopause or if she will have an easier time going through it. Family history does not play a role in determining this either. Although a family history is important for some aspects of menopause, a woman's mother's experience may be irrelevant to how she will experience menopause herself. Another myth about menopause that is untrue is that your weight will affect your menopausal experience. It does not matter if you are overweight, underweight or at a healthy weight. The effects are unknown until the woman actually starts to experience the symptoms of menopause.

Symptoms of menopause

These symptoms include hot flashes, change in sleeping patterns, osteoporosis, fatigue, irritability, reduced sex drive, vaginal dryness, dry skin, and the best indicator of menopause - the absence of menstruation. If absence of menstruation is apparent, it is typically diagnosed as menopause. This is when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 months.  A woman experiencing higher discomfort or elevated levels of these symptoms should consult with her physician right away.

Treatments for symptoms of menopause

Some treatments that focus on symptomatic relief can be administered. This varies with each woman's needs and her own symptoms, but generally for vaginal dryness, a topical lubricant can be used. For others, relaxation techniques or possibly menopausal hormone therapy can be administered. Hormone therapy is when female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone are used to treat common symptoms of menopause and aging. Some best practices for when you are going through menopause are to update your vitamin regime, exercise daily, watch your daily diet, and most importantly make sure you get your daily dose of calcium. Calcium is very important since the risk of bone degeneration is much higher when menopause is occurring.

Menopause side effects

Osteoporosis is a side effect of menopause and can be very serious if not treated immediately. The best thing a woman can do is consult with a physician on the side effects of menopause, and discuss any symptoms of menopause that she is experiencing. 

While there is no way of knowing what your experience during menopause will be like, you can learn the symptoms of menopause and prepare yourself by knowing what might happen to you during this time.